Make a Cardboard Bunny Tissue Box Holder

With Easter just around the corner, bunnies, chicks, and carrots seem to be  popping up everywhere.  Since I had some practice crapting a whale tissue box holder, I thought I'd try making a bunny tissue holder for Easter.

Meet Pinky.  

This little rabbit is my newest cardboard animal creation.  

She's super girly and cute.

And bonus- her tail provides comforting tissues when you sneeze.

Chuck can't resist pulling on her tail...

Want to crapt your own?  Read on!

Materials:
- cardboard (not bent, in good condition)
- pencil
- exacto knife
- self healing cutting mat
- scissors
- packing tape
- ruler
- paint
- paint brushes
- Sharpie markers
- Mod Podge

Directions:
Step 1:  Measure and cut out your pieces from cardboard.  (See pdf below) You'll need:
a.  1 long rectangular piece (15 3/4 inches x 5 1/2 inches)
     - folded lengthwise every 5 1/4 inches
     - with two tiny, thin rectangular holes cut out from middle section (for ears)
     - with two rectangles cut out from each side (for feet)

b.  2 identical ear pieces (about 4 1/2 inches tall)
     - bent 1/2 inch from bottom
     - two tabs cut at bottom (tape tabs down to attach ears)

c.  1 bottom piece (5 1/4 inch x 5 1/2 inch)
     - sides will probably be trimmed down and corners rounded when you assemble pieces

d.  1 front and 1 back piece (5 1/4 inch x 5 1/4 inch)
     - rectangle cut out from bottom of both pieces (for feet)
     - circle (approx 1 1/2 inch in diameter) cut out from back piece (for tissue tail)

Bunny Tissue Holder Measurements

Step 2:  Bend the long piece into three equal 5 1/4 inch parts.  (I found that it helped if I first scored the cardboard with my ruler or scissors).

Step 3:  Carefully tape front piece in front of your bent piece  (It was easier to maneuver smaller pieces of packing tape.  Try your hardest to make sure that the tape sits right against the cardboard.)

Step 4:  Attach bottom piece with tape.  Before taping, make sure that your tissue box fits into your construction.  You may need to trim the edges of the bottom piece and round off some corners to make sure that it fits.  (Honestly, I wish I trimmed a bit more off my bottom piece.  It's still slightly too wide and it pushed the sides out in a funny way.  So, I ended up taping them down from the outside... which ruined the effect a bit... )

Step 5:   Place your tissue box into the cardboard container.  Then, attach the back piece with packing tape.  (First I taped the top of the back piece to the bent long piece.  This created a nice hinge effect and the back piece could open and close.  I could have left it like that, but with Chuck on the loose it was safer if I taped the feet portions together too.)

Step 5:  Paint your piece.  (Honestly, I liked the au natural look.  But, pink just felt more spring-y, so I went with it.) To protect the tissue tail, push a plastic bag into your hole.  Pull it out when you're done.  Don't forget to use Mod Podge to protect your paint job.

And there you have it- some bunny to hand you tissues when you need them.  (Har, har, har.... )

Make a toddler chair out of pvc pipe

For the last month we've removed our sofa's cushions on a daily basis.  Chuck likes sitting on the sofa and watching tv, but it was too tough for him to climb up with the cushions in place.

We didn't mind him sitting that way, but we figured we should get him some kid-sized furniture.  And then a DIY light bulb went off in our heads.

Why buy him furniture when we could make our own?

Hubby and I had two different furniture concepts, so we ended up with two solutions.  Since hubby's project is 90% completed, I'll post up his solution later.  Here's how I chose tackle the problem:  a toddler-sized chair made out of PVC pipes and fabric.

Front

Side

Back

Cute, right?  I love it.  But honestly, I can't take much credit for its creation.  All I did was follow Que Linda's super clear directions and assemble the pieces.  Our uncle cut the pipes (thanks Tito Ric!) and hubby sewed the fabric (thanks hubby!). So they're really today's star crafters.

As you can tell, Chuck loves his new seat.  He's certainly one happy customer.

Make shrinky dink charms (out of number 6 plastic)

Can you believe that these charms were once take out sushi lids?

Well, it's true.  I've been saving number 6 plastic containers for awhile because I wanted to make shrinky dinks.  (Number 6 plastic is usually found in takeout containers.  You know it's number 6 because it has a "6" printed in it.)  This past weekend I finally had enough plastic lids, so I took the crapty plunge.

Want to try this crapt out too?  If so, read on:

But first, a cautionary note:
Most craft bloggers seem to say that it's ok to melt this plastic in the oven.  However, there are a few who worry about toxic fumes being released.  I went with the majority's opinion and tried out the  craft.  I just wanted to put that out there....

Materials:
- Number 6 plastic
- Permanent markers
- Scissors
- Hole puncher
- Aluminum foil
- Baking sheet
- Jump ring (and jewlery pliers to apply jump ring)
- Optional:  Mod Podge or clear nail polish (see step 7)

Directions:
Step 1:  Wash and dry your number 6 plastic containers.  Make sure to get rid of any sticky sticker residue.

Step 2:  Draw your design.  (I found some pendants from online stores that I liked and I doodled those images on paper first.  Then, I placed my piece of plastic over the doodles and traced and colored them.  All my original images were about 2 inches long.)

Step 4:  Cut out your images.

Step 5:  Hole punch your images.

Step 6:  Place your charms on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.  Bake them at 350 degrees for about 3 minutes.  (Each charm will initially bend and curl.  But then they will flatten out and stop shrinking. If a piece isn't fully flattened when you pull it out of the oven, you can always quickly push it flat yourself.)

Step 7:  Let your charms cool.  Then, add a jump ring to each one.

Another word of caution:  You have to handle the charms with care because the ink can rub off.  I tried protecting my work with Mod Podge, but got mixed results.  Some charms seemed alright, but the color rubbed off of others.  I also tried sealing some charms with clear nail polish.  But, I noticed that the nail polish smeared some of my images and not others.  So.... I'm not really sure how to seal them so that the images last.... Hrmm.... let me know if you figure anything out...

Happy crapty shrinky dinking!  Let me know if you try this out!

What's up, Chuck?

Hi everyone!

 Did you have a good weekend?

Last week hubby had to work some pretty long hours, so Chuck and I really looked forward to the weekend.  Thank goodness everything was low key and relaxing.  We ended up visiting some nearby relatives and shopping for supplies for a new project...

Here are some photos from last week:

Chuck and I continue to really enjoy music time at the library.

Thanks Vanessa for taking such a lovely photo!

We celebrated St. Patrick's day: 

I think Chuck looks good with a beard, no?

Leprechaun?  Nope.  It's hubby!

And this is why toddler time rocks....

It's so sweet how Chuck's face lights up whenever he sees this little girl.  

Hope your week starts off well.... (and if not, well, there are only four more days till the weekend... woo hoo!)  Today I'm taking Chuck to the dentist for his first checkup. *Gulp.* We'll see how that goes....

St. Patrick's day photo props

Today our toddler time is holding a St. Patrick's day event for the kids.  Here are two photo props that I crapted for the event:

Both props were made out of old cereal boxes. The kids are supposed to stick their faces through the hole in the left prop and they're supposed to stand underneath the hat on the right.

Please send some good Irish luck our way.  I'm hoping that the kids will use the props and we get some super cute and silly photos.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Make an eggshell mosaic pendant

Don't toss out your eggshells!  Today's craft shows a really unique way to turn them into beautiful pieces of art!

I love vintage micro mosaic jewelry, but being a huge cheap-o, I never allow myself to buy it.  So, yesterday, armed with a bunch of eggshells and milk jug caps (thanks Tita Tina for the stash!), I made my own version of micro mosaic jewelry.  Here are my two finished pendants:

Eggshell Mosaic Pendants

What a lovely piece of crapt

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Freezer paper stencil "left" and "right" pants

Nowadays when things get stressful, I get a craftin'.  Last night I freezer paper stenciled a pair of Chuck's pants.

Who knew?  Apparently I have a thing for typography on clothes.

First I stamped "hello" on a pair of pants, then I stenciled a "lucky charm" shirt, and now... well... it just felt like a good time to make some "left" and "right" pants.

Hmm... whose left and whose right? . 

They were pretty easy to make because I used the same freezer paper stencil technique from before.  Here are some photos of the process:

Hrmm... what should I make next?

Stencil a St. Patrick's day shirt (using freezer paper)

Can I admit something to you?

I'm not Irish.  *Gasp*  I know!  How surprising!

I've never felt the need to celebrate St. Patrick's day.  But, strangely... now that I'm a mom I feel the need to celebrate this and every holiday with Chuck.  President's day? St. Patrick's day?  Passover?  Bring them all on.  I relish the thought of dressing him up in holiday themed gear.

And since St. Paddy's day is just around the corner, what better way to celebrate than dress him in green. So last night I donned my crafting hat and made this "lucky charm" shirt for Chuck to wear.

Not too shabby, right?  It was my first time trying out the freezer paper stenciling technique.  Isn't it surprising how nice and crisp the lines turned out?  Wow.  This is definitely a technique that I'll use in the future.

The Craft Fair

was this past Saturday.  Oi vey!  I never realized how much effort it takes to design a product, make a product, package a product, set up shop, and then sell a product.  Yikes.  We're still recovering from all the preparations.

Tita Tina did pretty well selling her paintings.  I had some sales (mostly from family members- thank you for coming by and supporting us!), and I made enough to just cover 90% of my material costs.  Wowzers.  For all of you who do this in real life, I salute  you!  Truly, crafting is not for the weak.

All in all, I'm really glad we tried something new.  Now I can check something off the old bucket list.  I'd like to try this venture out another time in the future... but next time I'll think of different crafts to sell.... Hrmm....

Oh yeah- here are some photos from the fair!

Card making

Hi guys.  

I'm currently freaking out about Saturday's craft fair.  

So, I'm taking a short blogging hiatus to concentrate on card making.

Wish us luck.

  

See you on Monday.

What's up, Chuck?

Lately Chuck and I have been going outside to feed the birds and blow bubbles.  

These are some of my favorite moments of the day.

"Hello" stamped pants

Since I've been making tons and tons of stamps, I thought I'd take a short break from card stamping and decorate a pair of pants for Chuck.

They were really easy to make, but I'm just going to include the tutorial down below in case anyone feels the urge to stamp "hello" on a bunch of clothing.

Materials:
- pants
- fabric paint
- pencil
- paper
- scissors
- craft knife
- glue
- cardboard
- paint brush
- craft foam

Directions:

1.  Create your stamp.  I just wrote out the word "hello" on a piece of paper in a font that I liked.  Then, I cut out my word, traced it onto a piece of foam, and used my craft knife to cut it out  Then, I glued the word backwards (mirror-image!) onto a piece of cardboard.  Then, I just trimmed my cardboard. After letting the glue dry overnight, I had a lovely "hello" stamp.

2. I followed directions on the fabric paint bottle to properly prepare my pants for painting.  (Ooh!  Alliteration.)

3.  I slipped in a piece of cardboard into my pants leg to make sure that my fabric paint didn't go through to the other side.  Then, I painted fabric paint onto my stamp, and pressed down onto my pants.

4.  Hmm. The initial results weren't quite as bright and vibrant as I had hoped.  So, I took out my paintbrush and carefully painted over my word.

5.  Then, I just followed the directions on the bottle and laid the pants flat to dry.

We've already worn the pants once and put them through the wash.  The paint stayed put  and still looks good.  Phew!  Now Chuck has some happy and friendly pants to wear around town.  Easie-peasie.   I'd like to decorate some other clothes.... once I emerge from my card-making dungeon.  (Ack! Is anyone even going to buy my cards?  Freak out time!)

Bleach Pen Decorated Scarf

Hi everyone!

Happy Monday.

I'm semi-stressed about the upcoming craft show (ahhh! It's this Saturday!), so I won't be able to post lots of crafts this week.  However, I'll try my best to upload something every day ... (even if it's just a photo of the stamps that I'm working on) so that you'll get a glimpse into my harried card-making world.

Anyway, here's a fun craft that I made last week.  I finally took the plunge and tried my hand at using bleach to decorate a recycled t-shirt scarf.

Ooh.  Looks nice, right?  (And btw- can you see that pimple?  Well, it ain't the only one.  Curses, acne!)

Materials:
- Scissors (I used fabric shears)
- Old t-shirt (<--crap!)
- Cereal box (<--crap!)
- Bleach Pen
- Rubber gloves
- Pen

Directions:

Step 1:  Cut an old t-shirt horizontally under the armpits.  (This medium black shirt shrunk in the wash, so it was perfect.)  Now you should have a fabric loop.  Stretch your loop so that it's longer.  Save your unused material.

Step 2:  Doodle some possible designs.  (I debated between two designs, but ultimately chose to doodle flowers because it seemed easier and more fun to draw.)

Step 3:  Place a piece of cardboard between the top and bottom layers of your fabric loop.

Step 4:  Shake your bleach pen very well.  Then, draw on the topside of your t-shirt loop.

Note:
- You must shake the bleach pen.  Otherwise blobs of oozy bleach water will leak out of the pen.
- Even after shaking, I still found the bleach "ink" to be pretty runny.  It had the consistency of watery Elmer's glue.
- Bleach fumes are strong.  Don't work in a tiny, stuffy room.
- Be careful and don't touch the bleach.  (Yeah- I learned that one the hard way.)



Step 5:  Once you've completed one side, let your bleached fabric sit there for as long as you want.  When you get the fading that you like, put on your rubber gloves and rinse the bleach out.

Note:
- I was impatient.  Once I noticed the bleach changing the black cloth, I ran to the sink to rinse it out.  So, my flowers probably don't look as vibrant as they could.
- Rinse your cloth well.  If you don't, the scarf will slightly burn your neck when you wear it.  (Again, another lesson that I learned the hard way.)

Step 6:  Let your cloth dry.  Then, repeat Steps 3-5 with the non-decorated side.

Step 7:  Once both sides of your fabric loop have been decorated, rinsed out, and dried, cut your loop into two thinner loops.*

Step 8:  Now you're going to attach the two loops together to create the illusion of a very long infinity scarf wrapped around your neck.  (Sorry I don't have a photo of this process.)  First, you'll have to make one loop shorter than the other.  To do this, I cut apart one of my loops (making it a long strand.)  Then, I placed this strand on top of the other fabric loop, curving it to make it a shorter loop.  (Does this even make sense?  Is anyone still reading at this point?)  I tied a long thin strip of t-shirt material (taken from the discarded scraps) around the strand and the loop to attach them together.  Finally, I trimmed off any excess fabric bits so that I had a nice clean knot.

And that's how I made this scarf.

(*Psst- Want a thicker, fuller-looking scarf than mine?  Hubby and I think this scarf would have been cuter if I used two shirts.  Then I could have decorated two very thick loops and tied them together.  That was initially my plan, but my bleach pen died after drawing one loop.  So if you want to try that out, you'll need 2 bleach pens.)

Let me know if you try this craft out!   I'd love to see your results.

What's up, Chuck?

Guess who struggled with a cold, teething, and a tummy bug? 

  As you can guess, Chuck and I stayed indoors for most of the week.

Here are some photos (and a video- ooh!) of the little guy playing at home.

  

P2261691.AVI from Pink Stripey Socks on Vimeo.

Bridal Shower

I can't believe I've known these girls since college

.

Life is certainly one crazy, wonderful, beautiful, and scary adventure.  

Thank goodness we're not making the journey alone.

Make a Sharpie decorated plate

I never know what to get people as gifts.  Maybe you're like me?  I walk through the entire store several times.  Each time around, I find different treasures and then mentally debate the pros and cons of the item for several minutes.  Then, I inevitably change my mind and movie onto the next item. Then, after about 2 hours of mumbling to myself like a crazy lady, I finally leave empty handed, with only a grouchy hubby and fussy baby to show for my effort.

So when I was invited to a friend's bridal shower, I knew I was in trouble.  If buying gifts for the building's superintendent already caused me grief, buying a gift for a longtime friend should have sent me into cardiac arrest.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately?), Chuck's been having a rotten time with teething, so this time around I just took the easy way out:  gift card.  Packaged money.  And honey, who doesn't want money?

As I walked towards the cash register that nagging voice started whispering in my ear, "Leslie.  Is this really the best gift?  You've known her for how long?  Isn't this a bit impersonal?"  I tried responding back, "Shush. Chuck's actually behaving nicely.  If we leave now I can get good parking.  And I don't need to buy wrapping paper."

But the nagging voice continued, and I finally succumbed.  But this time a crafty idea also came to me and I took a quick trip to the kitchen section and grabbed a plate.

Because after seeing the gorgeous DIY Anthropologie knock-off mug from Home Heart Craft, I had to get into the Sharpie plate decorating market.

And after a couple of hours, I came up with this lovely plate:

I really like how it turned out.  It's beautiful, personal, quirky, useful, and *fingers crossed* long-lasting.  (I didn't try washing it... so I'm hoping the marker holds.)

Want to use Sharpie markers to unleash your creativity on some unsuspecting pieces of china?  Read on!

Materials:
- Oven
- Plate (I got mine at Target)
- Sharpie markers
- Paper
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Tape
- Q-Tip

Directions:
1.  Trace your plate onto a piece of paper and cut out the resulting shape.  Now you know how big to make your design..

2.  Come up with your design.  (This was super hard.  I knew I wanted to practice my handwriting skills and include something romantic and slightly naughty.)

3.  Turn your paper over.  On the back, rub your pencil over the back of your design.  (Guess what?  You've essentially made your own carbon paper!)

4.  Tape your design to your plate.  Trace over your design with your pencil.  Lift up your paper and you'll find a faint imprint of the design underneath.  (Magical!)

5.  Use Sharpie to trace over your design.  I have shaky hands, so I did this very slowly and carefully.  Some parts of the lettering came out a big uneven, so I retraced over parts to make sure that everything looked uniformly black.  Once my Sharpie dried, I brushed off any visible pencil residue with a Q-tip.  Feeling inspired, I also free handed a design on the back.

6.  Pop your work of art into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.  Then, admire your handiwork and wrap it up.

(Have you ever tried to draw on plates or mugs with Sharpies?  Did the Sharpie marker stay on even after you washed the item?  I'm hoping my design stays on.  Hubby received this lovely mug decorated with Sharpie from his students last year.... and the message they wrote washed away after several rinses.  Luckily we took a photo of the mug before everything disappeared... but it was still pretty disappointing.  *Crosses fingers*)

Make Eggshell Mosaic Pots

Can you feel spring in the air?  

In honor of the warmer weather and my love for mosaics, today's post is all about decorating tiny pots with eggshell mosaics.

Mosaic Eggshell Pots

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Make a Mosaic Bean Pendant

Hi everyone!

How was your weekend?   We had a pretty quiet Sunday, but our Saturday was full of fun activity.  I attended a bridal shower while hubby and Toddler Chuck visited family.  (I'll post up photos from the bridal shower later on this week.) I thought I'd start off the week with this crapty (and slightly crappy?) pendant that I made.

I think mosaics are lovely.  There's something quite special (and dare I say, possibly mathematical?) about laying pieces of varying shapes and/or colors together so that they fit a space and create a desired image or pattern.

Wanting to make a wearable mosaic of my own, I used some household materials to create this mosaic bean pendant:


Yeah.  I know what you're thinking.  Girl, that's a lot of look.  And my reply? Girl, I know.  But really, what does one wear with beans anyway?

Erm.... I'm not sure if I like the result, but I did have fun making it.  And who knows?  If you ever find yourself trapped at home with a couple of bored children, then perhaps you could whip these up for fun.

Materials:
- dried beans
- cereal box cardboard <--crap!
- craft paint
- paint brushes
- Tacky glue (I used Aleene's)
- String
- Felt
- Scissors